Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paulista and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Paulista: $787 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Paulista
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Paulista Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Paulista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$787

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paulista and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Paulista and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $787 per month in Paulista vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Paulista $787
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,225 per month in Paulista vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Paulista $1,225
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,663 per month in Paulista vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Paulista $1,663
Nosara $3,818

Paulista is about 57% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Paulista sits 42% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 R$35.72

$12.35 ₡5,539

-42.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.92 R$80.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-73.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 R$41.79

$7.52 ₡3,373

9.57%

Cappuccino

$1.58 R$8.03

$4.41 ₡1,978

-64.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.43

$1.74 ₡780

-38.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 R$2.13

$1.31 ₡587

-67.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 R$9.71

$3.28 ₡1,471

-41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 R$17.94

$4.47 ₡2,004

-20.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.16

$1.56 ₡701

-34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 R$9.20

$3.02 ₡1,355

-39.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.22

$2.51 ₡1,125

-58.96%

Eggs

$2.17 R$11.02

$3.57 ₡1,603

-39.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.89 R$14.64

$7.43 ₡3,333

-61.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 R$15.01

$10.52 ₡4,717

-71.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.69 R$28.86

$13.97 ₡6,265

-59.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.25

$2.35 ₡1,052

-14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.80

$1.61 ₡720

-40.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 R$4.64

$4.80 ₡2,152

-80.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.97

$1.61 ₡724

-26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.95

$3.80 ₡1,703

-63.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 R$4.26

$3.69 ₡1,657

-77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 R$2.09

$1.13 ₡507

-63.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.37

$2.66 ₡1,191

-67.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 R$11.52

$5.18 ₡2,321

-56.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.74 R$18.95

$19.88 ₡8,916

-81.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$7.87

$2.90 ₡1,300

-46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 R$16.70

$3.63 ₡1,626

-9.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.28

$1.12 ₡504

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.16 R$244

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-33.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 R$9.99

$2.14 ₡958

-7.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 R$5.95

$1.57 ₡703

-25.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 R$16.46

$8.52 ₡3,823

-61.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.52 ₡682

-28.29%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$14.2K R$72.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-34.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.0K R$151.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-13.17%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$46.71 R$237

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-51.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.42 R$119

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-34.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.62 R$120

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-55.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.85 R$131

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-63.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.58 R$140

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-21.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 R$29.81

$7.89 ₡3,539

-25.48%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$69.7 R$353

$494 ₡221.6K

-85.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,903 R$35.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-41.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.37 R$93.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-65.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 R$348

$55.4 ₡24.8K

23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.4 R$256

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-35.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 R$303

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,796

$788 ₡353.4K

-55.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,201

$794 ₡356.2K

-70.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 R$3,485

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 R$2,353

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-67.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,798 R$9,115

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-73.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,346 R$6,824

$1,224 ₡549.0K

9.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

27.61%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Paulista: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Paulista

$237 30.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 235% $557

Groceries & Markets

Paulista

$147 18.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 140% $206

Eating Out

Paulista

$123 15.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 72.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paulista

$94 11.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 98.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Paulista

$89 11.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 35.4% $31

Getting Around

Paulista

$60 7.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 44.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Paulista

$38 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 132% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Paulista versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Paulista versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $352 – making Paulista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Paulista

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

3 h behind Paulista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,167

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Paulista Nosara 5,970 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Paulista
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Paulista vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $787 in Paulista, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 134% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,180 per month in Paulista and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paulista, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Paulista. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $69.7 per month in Paulista and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paulista, where all-in costs run around $787, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Paulista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $787 in Paulista to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Paulista. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.